


Social Rendezvous

by superallens



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Barista!Harry, Fluff, M/M, Tinder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 18:58:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5676967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superallens/pseuds/superallens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis was drunk. Really drunk. It really wasn’t his fault though. How was he supposed to know that yet another one of his tinder dates would lead him to repeatedly asking the waiter for another Sambuca, just to tolerate the guy.</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>Louis reaches his last straw with Tinder dates. One thing leads to another and he eventually finds Harry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Social Rendezvous

**Author's Note:**

> hiiiii everyone! I'm back from the dead, I know. I hope you enjoy this, I worked really hard on it. I haven't written a One Direction fic in four years and this is my first Larry fic so... yeah...
> 
> original prompt by @/paynner on tumblr!

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Harry let out a muffled groan as his alarm went off, for his face was shoved into his array of pillows. Rays of early morning sunlight seeped through his light gray curtains as bright as the flash of a camera. The light somehow managed to peek through the small gap in between the two curtains, causing Harry to be temporarily blinded as he slowly opened his eyes.

He grunted as he tried to untangle himself from the web of soft sheets, pillows and blankets he somehow had created during his slumber. Harry reached over to his side table and yanked his phone from the charger. From there, he tapped in his passcode as quickly as he could, so the demonic Marimba tone could be temporarily exiled until the next day.

Setting his phone down in the mess that was his sheets, he hauled himself out of his bed and let his feet rest onto the cold, mahogany wood. A shiver ran down his spine as he drowsily exited the room.

Harry Styles lived a nice life for a twenty one year old. He was in university for photography and business, in hopes of shooting for fashion brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci someday. If that doesn't work out, he plans to start his own photography business. He knows it will be hard, but he is willing to do anything to accomplish his dream.

Harry lived in a small flat with his best friend, Niall Horan. The two met when Niall’s family moved to Holmes Chapel when Niall was sixteen and Harry was fifteen. Since then, they have been inseparable. They did just about everything together. They graduated together, they moved out to London together, they lived together; they were practically brothers.

The tall man dragged himself into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes in the process in effort of rubbing the sleep away. To no surprise, it didn't work. 

He lazily brought his coffee press closer to him, setting up all his ingredients to make him and Niall some coffee. Harry was trying out the bullet diet, so he planned on using that recipe for his coffee. He was a good friend though, so he always made extra in case Niall wanted some before heading out for the day.

You’d think that Harry would be tired of coffee since he did work in a coffee shop, but if anything, it helped him acquire a refined taste for coffee. 

As he finished making the coffee, Niall trudged his way into the kitchen, just like Harry had moments prior.

“Mornin’” the blonde boy yawned as he entered the kitchen area. He stretched his limbs as he took a seat on one of the two barstools. Harry poured half of the coffee into a white mug and slid it toward Niall. The man on the receiving end gave him a silent thank you as he took a sip of the heavenly drink.

Harry slid into the seat next to him and held his mug in his hands. The two sat in a comfortable silence. They both listened to the sound of lively birds chirping outside their kitchen window and how the wind whistled outside. They observed how the tree outside’s branches rustled as if it were dancing to its own original song. The silence was serene.

This had become part of the two friends routine years ago. Harry would get up and make breakfast, Niall would get up shortly after, and if neither of them had somewhere they needed to go in the morning, they’d sit in silence, simply enjoying each others presence as they sipped on their coffees and took in the day’s aura.

As time passed, the two boys had slowly migrated out of the kitchen, the two mugs now rested in the sink and Harry and Niall were off doing their own thing. Niall had a shift at the restaurant he worked out later in the day and Harry was taking a double shift down at the café.

The closer Harry got back to returning to his room, the more dread filled his body. He knew that reality would continue once more once he stepped foot into his personal quarters. He wished more than anything he could live forever in the illusion of his and Niall’s kitchen mornings. But sadly, that’s not how life works. All Harry knew for sure about today that it sure as hell was going to be a long one. 

_***_

Louis was drunk. Really drunk. It really wasn’t his fault though. How was he supposed to know that yet another one of his tinder dates would lead him to repeatedly asking the waiter for another Sambuca, just to tolerate the guy.

When he first swiped right on Devon, he was hopeful. According to his description, he was a normal twenty-two year old male who was in uni for teaching. What could go wrong, right? He was handsome; dark brown hair and hazel eyes, tall… the makes of a great potential boyfriend. Little did Louis know that this was going to be the worst evening of his life. Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong.

Not only was the lad late to picking him up, but the only excuse he had for himself was, “Sorry mate, overslept.” He smelt heavily of something poignant, which Louis quickly identified as weed.

“Overslept… my ass,” Louis murmured under his breath as he ducked into the car. Not only was the delinquent late, he didn't even bother walking up to his door step. He had just sent Louis a quick text saying he was here. Devon hadn't even bothered adding an emoji. What a prick. Not to forget, the imbecile called him mate. Who in their right mind calls their _date,_ mate? No one, exactly.

The ride to the restaurant is silent, not even the radio was playing. It was so silent that with each minuscule movement the smaller boy took, you could vaguely hear his bones groaning from the movement.

Louis never liked silence. For as long as he could remember, he had always been in a noisy environment, whether it be at home with his six siblings, or at school, there was always _some_ type of noise. Without any constant noise, the ringing in his ears started to flare, to the point where it began to invade his thoughts. He simply could not take it anymore.

Louis reached over to the volume button in the car, desperate to have something, anything playing to free himself from the arms of silence. But no, things just were _not_ going his way tonight. Right when Devon saw Louis’s hand start to raise towards the volume dial, he immediately smacked his date’s hand down.

“What the fuck…” Louis muttered under his breath. The whispering didn't make a difference, for Devon heard what he said.

“Sorry. I don’t like the radio to be on,” Devon monotonously said, his eyes not even glancing towards Louis. His gaze was firmly on the road.

“Can you at least talk to me then? I’m just about ready to hop out of this car and pursue the Queen if I have to deal with one more minute of silence.”

“Oh,” Devon cleared his throat. “Well, uh, what do you want to talk about?”

“Something, anything. _Please!_ Tell me about your job!” Louis hoped and prayed her wouldn’t regret asking his “date” about his job.

He did.

For the whole rest of the car ride, Devon went on, and on, and on about his student teaching position at the local middle school. 

Sure, Louis did love kids. But Louis couldn’t give a rat’s ass about what Tommy did to Sarah or what the latest gossip between Luke and Hannah’s secret relationship was. He just did not care. Not only that, but the man’s voice was terribly monotone, and he had to clear his throat every two minutes and fifty three seconds (yes, Louis did count.). 

By the end of the car ride alone, Louis was contemplating how bad it would be to just book it right when Devon parked, because he simple could not comprehend how someone could be so… insipid.

He decided against running, since one, his shoes were new, and two, he could be the better person here and rise above and not be the prick in this situation. Wow, maybe Louis _was_ hanging out with Liam too much.

Louis sighed whilst exiting the car. Devon hadn't even opened the door for him. It’s not like Louis was expecting him to, the man wasn't obligated to, but he was expecting to be wooed on this date and Louis was the least bit impressed.

The bitter cold wind circled around Louis like a hug from Jack Frost himself. He subconsciously pulled his thin coat closer around him, silently wishing he had worn something warmer. 

Louis was wearing a soft white scoop neck shirt that showed off his clavicles like they were a prized painting of Monet, with a green cargo jacket, black skinny jeans and white converse. His soft fringe laid neatly across his forehead, not too neat though, he didn't want to try to hard for this date.

Louis trailed behind Devon, off in his own world. How did he even get into this situation in the first place? What made him think it was a good idea to sign up for a dating website? Just because it had worked for Liam doesn't mean it would work for Louis. He knew he should've quit after the third failed date, but Louis was stubborn. 

Not that he was going to admit it anytime soon, but Louis was getting rather lonely. Being at the prime age of twenty four, he was ready for a serious relationship. He had a steady job, a great social life, and him and his family were closer than ever. Things were perfect, but Louis was still dejected. Seeing all his friends getting into relationships around him just made his heart tighten. He wanted that.

Before he knew it, Devon and him were seated at the table, perusing through the simple menu. Devon had taken him to some casual Italian place called Michelangelo’s. It wasn't a bad pick. The place had a homey feel to it. Fairy lights were hung about the roof of the building, and a gray table cloth adorned the table. On top of the table there were seasonings and candles. It was pretty romantic for how dull the guy across from him was.

A blonde boy in a classic waiter’s outfit bounded up to the table that the couple was sitting at. His bright aura brought a wave of relief over Louis.

“Hello! My name’s Niall, I’ll be your server tonight. Can I start you two off with something to drink or do ya need another minute?” Louis’s eyes darted across the menu until he spotted what he was looking for. Sambuca.

“Yeah, we’re ready I believe. I’ll have some Merlot,” Devon smiled up at the waiter as he placed his order, his eyes going up and down Niall’s body, unbeknown to Niall. Louis scoffed.

“And for you?” Niall asked politely. 

“I’ll have the Sambuca, thank you,” Louis said sharply, as he neatly set his menu beside him.

“Alright! I’ll be back with your drinks!” Niall chirped before going off to do God knows what. Back when Louis was a waiter in secondary school to earn a quick buck, him and his friends would goof off in the back room for a few minutes before quickly getting their customer’s drinks.

The two men stared at each other in silence as they waited for Niall to return with their drinks. Louis’s fingers anxiously thrummed against the table. The silence could not even be cut with a knife, for the air was that tense.

“Uhh,” Devon cleared his throat. “Could you maybe not do that? It’s kinda annoying.”

“Oh my-“ and in that moment, the amazing Niall came back with their drinks. This lad was Louis’s true hero of the night.

“Here you are, one Merlot and one Sambuca! Are you two ready to order?”

“Yes,” Devon smiled. He then continued to not order for himself, but Louis also. It’s not that Louis minds being ordered for, but bloody hell it made his blood boil when Devon did it for him.

“I’ll have another Sambuca as well,” Louis flatly said. Niall shot him a confused look, not moving from his spot. The waiter’s eyes flicked back and forth from Louis’s near full drink and Louis’s eyes.

Without making eye contact, Louis picked up his glass and downed all of its contents in one swift gulp. He smiled at Niall, his eyes screaming _fight me_. Niall’s eyes widened before he scrambled the order down on his notebook and dashing off once more.

Louis swirled his index finger around the rim of his empty glass as he observed the man in front of him scroll through his phone, completely ignoring Louis. The soft glow of the phone lit up Devon’s face, making the devil seem somewhat angelic. Devon smiled at his phone before setting it down and looking towards the door. _What the hell?_ Louis thought to himself as his brow furrowed.

Just then, a duo bounded into the restaurant, grins painted onto their faces. The first man was the shorter of the two. His eyes were a deep brown with hair to match and a mischievous twinkle lit his eyes up. The other man was taller than the one before, and he had a much different look. This second guy had dirty blonde hair and light eyes.

“Hey guys!” Devon cheered, standing up to greet the two men. The trio exchanged greetings before turning towards Louis.

“Lewis, these are my mates Nick and Greg, and boys, this is Lewis!”

“It’s Louis,” Louis deadpanned. 

“Yeah yeah, same difference,” Devon waved off. Louis eyes widened as he picked up his water glass. He raised his eyebrows up as he took a sip and looked away. He was going to keep his cool, and he was not going to flip out on his date. This was _not_ going to be a repeat of Tinder date number six where he just might have flipped a table over and stormed out… just maybe.

“Let’s just…” Devon trailed off, eyes darting around the restaurant. “Let’s move this table over so there’s room for you two, yeah?”

“Oh my god, he isn’t,” Louis muttered under his breath as he watched Devon push a second table over to the one they were currently occupying. 

“Holy shit he is!” Louis angrily whispered as Nick and Greg carried two chairs over to their now bigger table. The two boys plopped down in the seats, easily slipping into conversations about God knows what, Louis couldn't give flying fajita about what was going on. 

Louis hadn’t even noticed that Niall had brought by another Sambuca. He smiled down at his drink as he lifted it up to his lips and greedily took a sip.This was going to be a long night.

A couple Sambucas later and that leads to Louis hiding out, drunk, in the men’s bathroom. He could not _stand_ Devon for one moment longer. Louis could safely say that he genuinely hated the guy. His hatred could not even be put into words.

Louis was pacing back and forth, muttering gibberish under his breath when someone came into the bathroom. Louis froze and his head snapped towards the door. It was Niall.

Niall simply walked past Louis as if he were invisible and washed his hands. As he went to go get a paper towel, his head turns toward Louis.

“Hey, sorry to bother, but do you want me to get you outta here?” Louis’s eyes widened.

“I’m sorry, what?” Louis replied, flabbergasted. 

“Do you want me to get ya outta here? You look damn miserable and I’ve taken a liking to ya so let me help ya out. Your date seems like a prick too.” Louis beamed at Niall before pulling Niall into a bone crushing hug.

“You are seriously my hero tonight,” Louis whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. Yeah, he was being dramatic, but if Louis wasn't dramatic, what would he be?

“Yeah, no problem mate! Lemme show ya the back exit,” Niall chuckled. Louis followed Niall through the restaurant, nearly stumbling into chefs and waiters multiple times, and tripping over his feet more than enough times.

“Excuse me, sorry,” Louis mumbled as he squeezed through the people dashing around the kitchen. Finally, Louis and Niall had reached the back exit and they stopped at the door.

“Thanks, Niall, again,” Louis smiled. This was the highlight of his night so far, being able to escape from the Tinder date from hell.

“Yeah yeah. You need me to call ya a cab?”

“Nah I’ll be fine. Nice meeting you, mate. Keep in touch, yeah?” 

“Yeah totally. I don't have me phone on me right now so just come back some other time. Unless you are super desperate or something and search me up on those social medias.” Niall chuckled. 

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Louis opened the door, pulling his jacket closer to him. He left Niall with a little wave before taking off out the door. 

Louis had no idea how long he had been walking for. Could’ve been only a few minutes, could’ve been a few hours, who knows? The only time he stopped walking was to watch the sun set. 

The sky was painted with gorgeous hues of orange and pink. Louis had never seen something so magical. But then again, when have sunsets ever been magical for Louis? He blames it on the alcohol.

As he continued to walk down the street on the cold winter’s evening, Sambuca ran through his veins like Usain Bolt during the Olympics. The wind whistled into his ears like his own person lullaby. 

After a while, Louis began to grow weary and frustrated. Why did this always happen to him? Why was he so unlucky when it came to dating? He wasn’t bad looking, hell, he thought he was incredible attractive. And intriguing. He’d probably date himself if he had the option to. 

He just couldn't understand why things kept going so badly. He had tried going on dates that Liam and his friends set him up on, but they all ended terribly awkward with his date dropping him off outside of his flat complex with a simple goodbye and a lie of promising to call him. 

After all those failed attempts, Louis decided he would try the online dating world. Many of his friends raved about the interesting dates they had found and how amazing the people they met were. It had given Louis hope.

You see, Louis didn't like being alone. He loved having attention. Whether it just a simple text or a cuddle on the couch, he consistently craved constant attention. So all these failed dates just dragged him more and more into a pit of dreariness. 

Louis kicked the small rocks the lined the side of the road, wallowing in self pity.

“Pfft.” Louis let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in. “I hate this. I hate Tinder. I hate everything.”

He once more looked up at the nights sky. The stars had now made their appearance for their nightly show. When Louis was younger he used to think that every night the stars would come out for their nightly performance of twinkling in the dark void of the night. He’s obviously grown up since then, but he still likes to think of that theory whenever he's down.

All of a sudden, a lightbulb lit up above Louis’s head.

“You know what? I can probably find someone faster in…” Louis looked around his surroundings. He had no idea where he was, but he ended up standing in front of a small cafe; Rose’s Café and Bakery to be exact. “In there.”

Louis’s face lit up faster than fireworks on the Fourth of July as he bounded the small steps leading to the little shop. 

The bell chimed as Louis stepped. The place immediately reminded him of home. With the soft, cream walls and the random arrangement of couches and chairs, Louis couldn't help but immediately fall in love with the small, charming place. 

He straightened his posture before clearing his throat, thus getting the attention of the small amount of people in the joint.

“Excuse me, hello everyone!” Louis boasted. His eyes scanned around the room making sure he had everyone’s attention.

“Who is in fact gay in this lovely establishment?” Louis announced. The room stayed dead silent. Louis looked around, hoping to see someone with their hand up or with the intention of coming up to him.

His eyes finally stopped at the barista behind the counter. The boy had his hand raised lowly next to his face. 

Louis’s heart stopped as he looked at the barista. He had never seen someone so _beautiful_ in his whole life. The way his long, curly hair cascaded down his shoulders was like a waterfall of dreams and his green eyes could capture the soul of millions.

Louis smiled as he bounded over to the counter. As he was walking over, the barista accidentally nudged a plastic water bottle onto the floor. Louis, being the chivalrous man he was (unlike Devon), rushed over to help the gorgeous barista.

“Oops,” the boy blushed, making eye contact with Louis before squatting down to pick up the bottle.

“Hi,” Louis whispered. He was squatted down to the barista’s level. The two men’s hands grazed as they both reached for the bottle. Louis then picked it up and handed it to the other.

“Thank you.” They both stood up and stared at each other. The alcohol was fully running through his system now, but looking into the green eyes in front of him made him a new type of drunk he never experienced before.

“You’re cute,” Louis slurred, clumsily searching for the counter to lean on. His grip loosened a bit, causing Louis to trip before catching himself in a split second. 

“And you’re drunk,” the boy replied sternly, a blush rising up his neck. “Would you like me to call you a cab?”

“The only number I want you to call is mine,” Louis tried to wink, but failed miserably. The barista’s hand flew up to his face to muffle his laughter. 

“Okay, yeah, sure,” he smiled, his voice dripping in sarcasm. Louis couldn't help but admire the boy from where he was standing. Although his work uniform was possibly one of the ugliest things Louis has ever seen in his life, the boy in front of him somehow made it work. How one pulls off a black polo shirt and a seal blue waist apron so well will always be a mystery to the drunk man.

The Cutie with the Curls (that was Louis’s official name for him for the time being) went back into his quarters and started working on something. Louis frowned. If he was getting rejected _again_ for the second time in one day, then he was going to sue. He wasn't quite sure who he was going to sue, but he’d figure that out later.

Soon enough, the CC was back with a small, baby blue cup in his hands. He held it out towards Louis. The shorter boy frowned at the cup, confused as to what it was. The other raised his eyebrow and held it out further for Louis to take. 

“It’s for you. You’ll thank me later for it.” Louis’s eyebrows furrowed as he cautiously took the cup from the man in front of him. He brought it up to his nose and took a sniff. It smelt fine, so at least the CC wasn't poisoning him. He nervously took a small sip, letting the warm liquid spill down his throat. He still wasn't quite sure what it was, but it didn't taste bad. Louis was able to finish it within a few seconds. Once he finished, he handed the cup back to the boy in front of him.

“Thank you,” Louis whispered. The café had quieted down, making Louis apprehensive to be as loud as he had been moments prior. It suddenly dawned Louis that capitalism was alive and that he owed the poor CC in front of him something for his drink. 

Louis searched through his pockets, managing to find a tenner in his right back pocket. He held it out to the curly boy in front of him.

“No, no, don't worry about it.”

“C’mon.”

“No. It’s on the house.”

“I owe you something though.”

“I don’t even know your name. Let’s just start off with that.”

“Well,” Louis said as he looked down at the CC’s name tag; _Harry._ “Harold. My name is Louis.”

“My name isn’t Harold.”

“Too bad, it is now my curly comrade. It suits you, you know.” Louis smirked devilishly at Harry.

“Not really.” Harry huffed in defeat, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere with Louis. “Louis, rolls off the tongue.”

Louis smiled as Harry said his name. He could listen to it over and over. Would it be awkward if Louis asked Harry if he could record him saying his name? Too weird? Alright.

“So, now that we’re on a first name basis, when do you get off work?” Harry hummed as he checked the clock. _10:29pm._

“Right now, actually.” Harry began taking the apron off of his waist. He was exhausted from working for most of the day. There was a huge rush during lunch hour and it left Harry overwhelmed well after the event.

“How would you feel about taking a walk with me?” Louis asked as he followed Harry as he hung up his apron. 

“How do I know you aren't going to like, kill me?”

“You really think I’d be able to do that right now?”

“True, true,” Harry replied smugly. The duo walked out of the café, the wind immediately slapping them in the face.

As the two walked, they easily slipped into conversation. Louis found himself craving to know anything and everything about the boy beside him. He learned that he had an older sister named Gemma and that he was best friends with his mum, that he wrote poetry, and that he knew how to play a “wicked” game of Scrabble.

Little did Louis know Harry felt the same. Harry was fascinated by the vibrant sun next to him. The smaller man radiated a new type of energy that he had never felt before. The way Louis’s eyes shined as he talked about his large family and the things he was truly passionate about, like music, made Harry’s heart skip a beat. The two felt at ease with each other, as if they had been best friends for a lifetime rather than just meeting less than an hour prior.

Time went on, and before either of them knew it, they were standing on a bridge looking off into a river. The moonlight illuminated off of Louis’s cheekbones, making him look like a God of the stars. 

You could see the air leaving both of their lips, leaving little clouds around them that lasted seconds at a time. The two stood under the stars for a while, just blue eyes staring into green. 

Harry bravely took a small step forward. He reached out for Louis’s hand, encasing it loosely into his own. Louis’s heart filled with warmth at the gesture.

“So, how about that number now,” Louis chuckled softly, his thumb tracing gentle circles around Harry’s middle knuckle. Harry’s laugh echoed into the silent winter’s night. 

“Yeah,” Harry smiled, giggling along with Louis. “Why not.”

**Author's Note:**

> if you'd like, follow me on tumblr @/hazdidas


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